Milwaukee hosts Chicago in Game 2 of the NLDS with a chance to seize a commanding 2-0 lead after a potent Game 1 showing. Shota Imanaga will try to steady the Cubs, while Aaron Ashby aims to rebound for Milwaukee following his brief relief appearance. Counsell frames Imanaga as a fierce competitor who pitches with joy, even as recent outings have exposed homer-prone tendencies.

Imanaga’s 3.73 ERA this year and 13 earned on 14.2 innings in his last three starts loom large, and Chicago needs him to rediscover his rhythm. If he can keep the ball in the park, the Cubs stay dangerous; if not, Milwaukee’s offense and bullpen depth could push the series back to Wisconsin.

Imanaga starts Game 2 for Chicago in a must-win NLDS clash with Milwaukee. The 32-year-old lefty brings a methodical, competitive mindset and a joyful mound presence that Counsell praised as fierce in execution. Milwaukee jumped ahead in Game 1, so Chicago leans on a veteran-led clubhouse—Turner, Swanson, Santana, Pomeranz—to steady the ship as the series shifts to a pivotal night.

Milwaukee’s 9-3 Game 1 rout over Chicago sets a brutal tone for the NLDS, with Matt Boyd pulled after a disastrous six-run first that doomed the Cubs from the jump. Michael Busch staked the Brewers to the early lead with a leadoff homer as Brewers pitchers silenced the Cubs bats for most of the day. Chicago countered with sparse offense and a bullpen shuffle that’ll dictate Game 2, where Shota Imanaga’s rest could swing the series’ rotation and continue the ongoing post-season chess match over pitching depth.

Counterpunching and adaptation defined the day: Counsell’s crew poured it on, and the Cubs must reassemble quickly with questions about starting assignments, pitching rest, and bullpen leverage. The historic lens—older postseason decisions and coaching gambits—underscores why every mound move in October becomes scrutiny, shaping how fantasy managers value rotation slots and daily lineups as the series progresses.

In a game that spoiled the opener’s fun and raised the stakes, the focus shifts to who starts Game 2, how rest affects arms, and which bullpen profiles hold the most upside in a close-out-or-cover scenario. The Brewers’ confidence is buoyed by early momentum; the Cubs must adapt quickly to avoid a swift series-deflating 2-0 hole.